Anaheim reports dramatic drop in crime solving

Conklin said detectives haven't found obvious patterns among unsolved rape cases but have ruled out the possibility of a serial offender loose in the community.

"We would very quickly be aware of a sexual assault series, and we would put 100 percent of our efforts toward it because they're such dangerous individuals," Conklin said. "We haven't had that."

Conklin said fewer officers in the department could be a factor in the decline but stressed that recent cuts haven't directly impacted rape investigations. In fact, he said, there should be even more people working these cases than a decade ago.

In 2006, Anaheim opened the county's first one-stop facility for victims of abuse and sexual assault. The Family Justice Center is staffed by police officers and prosecutors, and includes counselors who can help victims navigate the legal system.

TRACKING RESULTS

Law-enforcement agencies have been using statistics to track crime solving for decades, but these numbers rarely gain mainstream attention. Police, elected officials and the news media tend to focus on the amount of crime instead.

In Anaheim, crime solving hasn't been part of the recent spotlight on increasing violent crime and police shootings. Asked why, the city's mayor argued that reducing crime has been a higher priority for policymakers.

"My job, I believe, is public safety first, so the big focus has been on crime rates and to keep those as low as possible," Tait said. "That's what's looked at, and the clearance rate is not nearly (as much)."

The clearance rate is one of five statistics included in Anaheim's budget documents to evaluate police performance. The city outlines a goal for crime solving and then holds police accountable the next year.

But this picture of crime solving can be misleading. The city's reporting methods over the past decade have effectively masked the dramatic decline and portrayed a rosier image of investigative results.

In 2002, at the end of the golden age, the city reported a clearance rate that included violent and property crimes. Then, in 2011, the city switched to a format that included only violent crimes.

Anaheim's budget documents don't explain that important shift. To any passing reader, it appears crime solving has actually increased by more than 10 percentage points since 2002.

However, that increase only materialized on paper after police began excluding property crimes from the numbers, few of which they solve. Had the format been consistent, the budget would have shown the decline in crime solving.

The statistics switch was part of a citywide makeover that began in 2010. The city slashed most performance metrics from its budget documents and redefined others. The goal, Finance Director Debbie Moreno said, was to create a simpler, user-friendly report.

The Police Department's new metrics were chosen by Welter and former City Manager Tom Wood, and then approved by the City Council with the rest of the budget. Welter said the city switched to only violent crimes because the category has a more drastic effect on the community and the numbers are considered more reliable.

Related Links

The Anaheim Police Department, once regarded as a crime-solving champion among California law-enforcement agencies, has registered a dramatic fall over the past decade. From 1998 to 2002, the department reported solving about 73 percent of violent crimes, an extraordinary record. Since 2002 police have reported solving only about 43 percent of violent crimes. FILE: BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim police Lt. Eric Trapp listens during the weekly crime meeting at police headquarters in Anaheim. The map on the wall shows the location of recent crimes in the city. Members of the department talk about crime trends and strategies at the meetings. PAUL BERSEBACH, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim Police Chief John Welter makes a statement to the media before taking questions as ATF and Anaheim police announce the results of a gang crackdown in 2012. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim police Sgt. Mike Lozeau listens as crime analyst Veronica Emami speaks during their weekly crime meeting at police headquarters. Members of the department talk about crime trends and strategies at the meetings. PAUL BERSEBACH, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait at the official opening of the Grand Plaza at the Anaheim Convention Center. Tait said he was unfamiliar with Anaheim Police Department's crime-solving record until he was contacted by a reporter. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim police Lt. Eric Trapp, Lt. Steve Davis and Lt. Tim Schmidt, from left, talk following a crime meeting at police headquarters. Members of the department talk about crime trends and strategies at the weekly meetings. PAUL BERSEBACH, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim police Lt. Eric Trapp examines a map showing the location of recent crimes during a meeting at police headquarters. Members of the department talk about crime trends and strategies at the weekly meetings. PAUL BERSEBACH, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Sycamore Junior High School physical education teacher Danny Fernandez leaves a Sycamore Bucaneer ball cap at the scene of Juan Martinez's memorial. Martinez was stabbed last year. Anaheim police have been solving murders more often then they reported a decade ago. FILE: BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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